


Invitation to a Bounty

by BaronVonChop



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-09
Updated: 2015-12-09
Packaged: 2018-05-05 19:03:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5386943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BaronVonChop/pseuds/BaronVonChop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A bounty hunter takes on a contract that is not what it seems.</p><p>(A story of how Leia got the disguise she wore to infiltrate Jabba's palace.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Invitation to a Bounty

I sat in a shadowy bar on Nar Shaddaa, watching a grizzled Gotal wail a sad tune on a twisted wind instrument. I took a swallow of my lum and checked my datapad for new bounties.

One of the entries on the list caught my eye. I knew the name Chewbacca: the tall Wookiee with the short temper. He generally hung around with a human smuggler named Han Solo. Word was, the two of them had botched a job for Jabba the Hutt, and the gangster had put out a bounty on them. More recently, I had caught a rumor saying that Solo had run afoul of Darth Vader, Jabba, or both, and he was out of the picture. Chewbacca must have been on Nar Shaddaa to try to find aid for his friend.

He wasn’t likely to find it. His loss would be my gain.

Chewbacca presented quite a challenge, but I felt like taking it on. I reasoned that Wookiees are not known for their clear thinking in the best of circumstances, and Chewbacca would be worried about his friend and unused to being on his own. I must admit, the thought of taking in a big name like Chewbacca and earning the respect of a powerful crime lord like Jabba really appealed to my ego.

I secured the contract and put out feelers. I had plenty of contacts on Nar Shaddaa, from small-time crooks to retired hunters to hovertaxi drivers who wanted to make some extra credits. It didn’t take long before a Gran street food vendor messaged me to say that she had spotted a Wookiee matching Chewbacca’s description in a gambling den I knew. I finished my drink, donned my helmet, and headed out.

The gambling den squatted in the shadow of taller buildings. Glowing, animated signs wrapped around the buildings’ upper stories, promising entertainment in Huttese as well as images that needed no language to get their points across. The garish lights and gaudy offers faded out the lower down you got, so that the gambling den sat wrapped in shadows. A small sign above the entrance showed that this was the right place, though I could barely make it out in the dim glow of the single light directed at it.

I found my Gran contact nearby, selling skewers of meat to a Dug. The Gran’s three eyes perked up on their eyestalks at my approach. I waited for the Dug to leave before walking up and giving my contact the credits she expected. Once the credits were safely in her possession, she bleated, “He’s still in there,” before pushing her cart down the street.

I looked around and spotted a couple of brightly-clothed youths leaning against a wall down the street while passing a death stick back and forth. They eyed me warily when I approached. I gave them Chewbacca’s description and offered them each some credits to go inside, find him, and tell him that someone was waiting for him in the alley nearby with information about Han Solo. I figured that should get the Wookiee’s attention.

I waited across the street, watching the door as patrons came and left. I found it amusing to note the differences in posture between those entering the gambling den and those leaving it, but then again, I’ve never been much of a gambler.

After a few minutes, the youths came out with Chewbacca following. Most sentients are at least a little bit taller than me, but I found myself momentarily caught off-guard when I saw Chewbacca’s height. Reminding myself that I had surprise on my side, I palmed a stun grenade and crossed the street. The youths led the Wookiee into the alley, with me following behind. The youths paused, nervous, and the Wookiee must have smelled their fear, because he turned and saw me coming. The youths bolted as Chewbacca bared his teeth at me and let out a snarl.

I hurled the grenade, but the Wookiee was already charging me, and the grenade exploded harmlessly behind him. I pulled my blaster. Before I could shoot, the Wookiee grabbed my hand and twisted. Pain shot up my arm and shoulder. I gasped and dropped the weapon from nerveless fingers.

With my other hand, I pulled a knife from a hidden sheath and took a wide swipe at the hairy beast, which at least caused him to take a step back. Keeping the knife in front of me and my eyes on the Wookiee, I bent down to retrieve my pistol. My gloved hand swept the filthy ground, but I did not feel the pistol anywhere.

I looked down for a moment and saw where the pistol had slid. I reached for it, and in the time I was distracted, Chewbacca gave a roar and swung at me. Caught off guard and with no chance to dodge, all I could do was grit my teeth and wait for the blow to land. My eyes locked on his fist as it came at me, and I could have sworn he paused mid-swing for just a moment before his blow landed.

I reeled, stumbling back and crashing into a stack of flimsy boxes packed with garbage. I blinked as my vision swam, but even as I fought to clear my head, I couldn’t shake the thought that the Wookiee’s punch should have knocked me out, or worse. I did not have time to think it through as he leaped at me, both fists raised and bellowing a challenge.

Somehow I had managed to keep my grip on my pistol, so I raised it and fired a stun blast right into Chewbacca’s face a moment before his whole weight plowed into me. We both fell in a heap, and for a moment I was helpless under his bulk.

He lay on top of me, barely moving as the aftereffects of the stun blast sent small crackles of electricity through his fur. Summoning my strength, I heaved the creature off me. l lay there for a few more moments, trying to catch my breath as my heart hammered in my chest.

After a few moments, I saw him stir, so I forced myself to stand and pulled out some stun-cuffs. Chewbacca was already sufficiently recovered by then that it was a struggle to get the cuffs on him. Even half-conscious, the pure strength of the Wookiee nearly tore the cuffs from my hands before I could properly get them on him.

When I had finished, I sat back again and admired my work. The famous Wookiee crouched in the shadows, glaring at me. He flexed his arms, and I could see the muscles tensing even under the shaggy fur, earning him a jolt from the stun-cuffs. I breathed a sigh of relief, glad that I had bought the premium cuffs. Nevertheless, I kept my pistol trained on him as I hauled him to his feet. I preferred to take no chances.

I hauled the Wookiee to a comm terminal and registered the bounty as captured. The terminal provided the client’s address for delivery, and I set off.

During the whole trip, I kept an eye out for other bounty hunters, worried that someone would try to steal my capture. I stood as straight as I could, well aware that the captured Wookiee towered above me. Normally, I felt like my size was an advantage, since it meant that my targets tended to underestimate me. Now, travelling the shadowy streets of Nar Shaddaa, I wished I had a more intimidating physique.

Fortunately, my client’s address was nearby. The complex was in fairly good shape, though the lobby was dimly-lit. The half-asleep Nikto at the front desk barely looked up from her datapad before nodding her stubby horns toward the stairs. Nearby, a cocky Devaronian played holo-chess with a grizzled Whiphid, while a Trandoshan watched and gave unsolicited advice.

I half-expected Chewbacca to try something as we got closer to my client, but to my relief, he walked along with only the occasional grumble or growl.

We climbed the stairs and walked down a corridor to my client’s room. I knocked once with the spikes on my gloves’ knuckles and the door immediately opened. Chewbacca stepped inside without any hesitation, and I followed.

The room was simply furnished, with a bed, a desk and chair, and a door leading to a refresher. Sitting at the desk was a human woman. The desk lamp next to her cast shadows over her face, but something about her struck me as familiar.

She spoke in my native language, and her Ubese was flawless. “Thank you for delivering Chewbacca as requested. I regret that--”

Suddenly I realized who she was: Princess Leia Organa, one of the leaders of the Rebellion, and definitely an ally of Chewbacca’s. I snatched my blaster from its holster. As I brought it up to aim it at Organa, Chewbacca let out a roar. He tore his hands free of the stun-cuffs with a bright flash, and the next thing I knew, both of my wrists were encircled in one of his hairy paws and pointed at the ceiling, while his other paw wrapped around my windpipe.

So much for the premium stun-cuffs.

“Let me explain,” Organa said, her voice urgent but projecting a sense of control. “Chewie, let him go. It’s all right.” The Wookiee glared at me for a few moments more before releasing his holds on me.

I gasped for air. The helmet made it hard to gulp down as much air as my burning lungs demanded, so I took my helmet off and breathed as deeply as I could.

Organa continued. “I would like to make you an offer. I apologize for the unorthodox way we made contact, but secrecy is vital to our mission. The Rebel Alliance is prepared to compensate you very well in return for your cooperation. Will you listen to my offer?” Something about having my helmet off made her gaze seem much more intense.

I massaged my neck and turned my head to look up at Chewbacca. He watched me carefully, his expression unreadable. I wondered how the Wookiee who could look so savage when angered could seem so placid when calm.

“One question first,” I said, my voice still strained. “If you were looking for me in particular, how did you know that I would be the one to accept the bounty on your Wookiee friend here?”

Organa allowed herself a small smile. “The Alliance has some of the galaxy’s best slicers. The bounty may have looked like it was posted publically, but we made sure that it only appeared on your datapad.”

“Okay. Let’s hear that offer.”

Organa leaned forward. “I want your suit. And I want you to stay out of the public eye for a while.”

I looked from her to the Wookiee, then back to her, but neither of them looked like they were joking. My mouth quirked up. “I wasn’t planning on going on vacation.”

Chewbacca grumbled something. Leia’s eyes went up to his for a moment, but she never turned away from me. She met my eyes and held them. “Let me explain. We’re prepared to pay you for your suit, and for the time to use it while you lie low. No danger to you.” She kept her voice even, and I could tell how she had earned her reputation as a negotiator.

“Someone is going to impersonate me?” I asked. Organa nodded. Then something clicked. “You?” She spoke perfect Ubese, and I wondered if people tended to underestimate her because of her size, too. She nodded again. I considered. “May I ask what you’ll be doing while impersonating me?”

“You may ask, but I think you’ll understand if we prefer not to say.”

“All right, but when you’re done, will I be able to continue my career with no fallout from your plan?”

I could tell from the way Organa briefly glanced up at Chewbacca that we had arrived at the crux of the conversation. Organa settled herself in her chair, looked me in the eye, and said, “We’re prepared to pay you enough so that you don’t have to return to your work afterward.”

“You’re paying me enough to retire, and I don’t even have to do anything? Just let you use my suit while I sit back and count the credits? What’s the catch?” I studied Organa, but her expression remained unreadable. I looked up at Chewbacca, but the Wookiee looked just as inscrutable. I shrugged. “I’m a bounty hunter. I complete contracts, and I get paid. This offer you’re describing… I don’t know. It’s not what I do.”

Organa raised her eyebrows. “Why are you a bounty hunter, except to make money? This way, you can make credits without even having to put yourself in danger. How is that not a better arrangement?” She smiled, and her demeanor started to put me at ease.

“Do I have time to think about it?”

“We need an answer now.” Her voice remained friendly, but I could sense the hardness in her tone.

I nodded. Now I understood. “So now that I know your plan, what happens if I say no?”

Organa leaned back in her chair. There was no trace of a smile any more. “I hope you say yes.” She let that hang in the air. I shivered. I had been unconsciously worrying about the Wookiee’s presence, but Chewbacca was there only to distract me from the real danger. Organa had come too far and sacrificed too much to take “no” for an answer.

I knew better than to take too long deliberating. I stood and offered her my hand. “Earning credits is overrated. Good luck with the suit.”


End file.
